This week on the Startup Sessions, I sit down with a successful startup founder and professional IRONMAN athlete to discuss the lessons from his 25-year track record in entrepreneurship. Matt Given gives us real-talk on the “healthy” side of obsession, finding patience to make a startup a successful and inevitably, how to reach true domination of your market. Matt brings a fantastic reminder to all the grinding entrepreneurs out there: success is rarely delivered overnight.
Highlights
- Obsession: Not just a powerful word, but a process (3:26)
- The myth of the ‘Overnight Success story’ (6:16)
- Have Patience: the parallels between Iron Man races and Startups (9:38)
- Decision Making and Experience: The Rule of the 2% (16:18)
- DOMINATE: How to do more than just show up to work (21:45)
- Advice for a Brand New Entrepreneur (30:37)
- Embrace where you are in the process: Use it to your advantage (40:21)
“Do the easy things RIGHT!”
-Matt Given
Insights from Matt
What’s the most valuable thing you’ve learned as an IRONMAN competitor?
The little things are the big things.
What’s one word that best describes how you work?
Grinding
What are you currently reading?
Internal Medicine by Terrence Holt
What everyday thing are you better at than anyone else?
Nothing – yet!
What’s your best time-saving trick?
Waking up earlier than the competition
What idea or belief do very few people agree with you on?
That waking up at 3:30 am is a good thing!
What’s the best business advice that you’ve received?
Embrace the process… embrace the ‘suck’.
Do you have any specific asks or requests of the audience?
Check out my current company at www.intelivideo.com
Or my weekly articles published at Inc.com
Any final thoughts?
Feel free to reach out to me via email at matt@intelivideo.com, I always love to connect!
Links and Resources
- Check out Matt’s company InteliVideo
- Read Matt’s weekly articles on Inc.com
- Follow Matt on Twitter
- Read Internal Medicine by Terrence Holt
- APPLY for one of the remaining spots in The Council of Visionary Business Builders
About Matt Given
Matt Given is CEO of Intelivideo, the world’s best Video On Demand and Subscription Video On Demand sales and distribution platform. Given has a 25-year track record in entrepreneurship as an operator, founder and investor in technology companies. He has started, grown and exited three technology companies to date, and recently closed a $5.6M funding round for his latest venture, Intelivideo. Given is also an endurance sports junkie, having competed in the IRONMAN World Championships in Kona, Hawaii.
He regularly speaks to startups, seasoned industry veterans and university students sharing his experiences and tips for success. Given also shares his startup and leadership experience through his weekly column on Inc.com.
“Get out there with what you’ve got… conduct experiments in the market and prove there are people out there that will buy ‘this.’”
– Matt Given
Challenge of the Week
Dominate your current position. If we use this mentality of ‘dominating’ throughout all aspects of our lives, imagine the difference it could make.